Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Sheherzade is a 2018 Cannes Film Festival Golden Camera nominee that Netflix snapped up for international distribution. It’s easy to see why the movie earned that accolade — the debut feature from writer/director Jean-Bernard Marlin is a visually inspired and absorbing character piece about the only thing that remains uncorrupted in the lives of its protagonists: their capacity for love.
SHEHERAZADE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Zach (Dylan Robert) is just barely through the exit gates of the Marseilles juvenile detention center when he’s hit with upsetting news — he’s not going back home to live with his mom. In fact, she agreed to put him in a group foster home. And she’s not even there to tell him, leaving his caseworker to break the bad news. It’s not that his mom doesn’t want him, the caseworker says — she’s unemployed and can’t afford to take care of him. He’s skeptical, probably for good reason.
There’s only one way for Zach to turn: towards the wall of the group home. Then, up and over it. He beelines to his drug-dealing friends, begging them for work. They turn him away. He meets a prostitute he recognizes from school: Sheherazade (Kenza Fortas). He solicits her services, but, having no cash, offers to pay with a brick of hash. She takes it, then takes off running. He tracks her down, and they end up staging an impromptu retail theft — they’re on the same street-instinct wavelength. Apparently, this is a young woman he can respect.
Soon enough, Zach is in love, and working as pimp and protection for Sheherazade and her friends. They work, then go back to a dingy bed and snuggle until she falls asleep sucking her thumb. He’s impulsive, and not one for deep thought; he’s a bundle of jealousy and confusion, and might not be right for the job. But that street instinct inspires him to bring in his old buddies — he offers them a cut if they help him force another crew of pimps and working girls out of a prime hooking location. Next thing you know, Zach and Sheherazade are carrying wads of cash, and taking romantic rides to the ocean on his slick new motorcycle.
Being streetwise only takes you so far, though. Zach is still immature, not wanting to admit that he’s in love, especially with a prostitute. He fronts as a tough-guy to his best buddy Ryad (Idir Azougli), who wants to solicit Sheherazade’s services. It doesn’t go well. And then Sheherazade hops in a car with a client, then never comes back. What happened? And what will Zach do next?
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: This movie’s vigorous grittiness crosses Kids with vestiges of new-wave realism a la Godard and Truffaut.
Performance Worth Watching: Robert and Fortas are no-name first-time actors showcasing raw, uncut talent. The camera doesn’t faze them. They’re earnest and forthright, enriching their characters with credibility and realism.
Memorable Dialogue: One of Sheherazade’s fellow prostitutes simply and poignantly describes their hardscrabble situation: “When you have no way out in life, you’ll do anything.”
Single Best Shot: Zach and Sheherazade enjoy some golden-hour sunlight at the beach, on the back of his motorcycle. It’s a rare moment of solace in the film.
Sex and Skin: Brief glimpses of Sheherazade at work are a little disturbing — which is surely how Zach sees them, too. Their sweet and pure relationship remains tastefully unconsummated, at least on screen.
Our Take: Sheherazade is an absorbing drama designed to create a sense of emotional immediacy. Marlin’s use of handheld cameras in tight urban spaces makes us feel hemmed into the story, and he frames the dingy corners of Marseilles with beautifully harsh, flaring neon lights.
Claustrophobia is one of Marlin’s themes; Zach and Sheherazade no doubt feel suffocated by their circumstances, which dictate discomfiting moments of intensity and suspense. But it’s ultimately hopeful, a portrait of truth and love that’s never contrived or implausible.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Gritty realism. Superb cinematography. Terrific performances. Don’t let it slip by.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.
